Food Factory (USA)

Monday To Friday 8PM

Food Factory (USA)takes viewers behind the scenes to see how some of America's most beloved products are made. From iconic international brands to mom-and-pop products, each involves a process ripe with zigs, zags, swoops, and alleyoops as they travel down the production line. Along the way, marvel at the machinery - some mega, some miniscule - sophisticated manufacturing techniques, and revealing food science. FOOD FACTORY reveals the manufacturing processes behind common edibles, with each episode going behind the scenes at high-tech factories to feature the transformation of four different products from raw materials to finished treats. Mixing, chopping, sifting, filling, freezing, boiling, and wrapping are just a few of the transfixing steps viewers witness in each episode. Brand ambassadors and factory employees also chime in to recount the product's history in American cuisine, touching on nostalgic elements in pop culture as well as the product's evolution over the decades.

Watch the new season of FOOD FACTORY (USA), Monday to Friday 8PM, only on Discovery Channel.

Episode Guide

Episode 1 -

In this episode of Food Factory USA, discover the story behind these three all-time American favorites. Necco Candy Wafers have been around since 1847, but there’s nothing old about their awesome flavors or the cutting edge technology used at the company’s massive Boston factory. With their secret gravy recipe, two entrepreneurial Brits moved to Buffalo, New York, and now their English Pork Pie Company make thousands of mouthwatering handcrafted pocket size Steak and Ale pies every day. And, proponents of ginseng claim it can seriously boost your mojo. And with 18 custom flavors, GinsengUp has combined the pleasure of soda with an ancient root that’s often called ‘the king’.

Episode 2 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, discover the story behind these three all-time American favorites. Launched in the 1920s as a tasty way to fortify milk, Bosco Chocolate Syrup is produced in New Jersey and it has a blockbuster connection to Hollywood. Now outselling hamburger and hotdog buns, tortillas are taking America by storm, and this Boston facility can pump out more than half a million of Maria & Ricardo’s Flour Tortillas every day. And, first served by Thomas Jefferson at a state dinner in 1802 and now America’s number-one comfort food, Mom Made’s great tasting good-for-you mac’n’cheese contains hidden veggies.

Episode 3 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, discover the story behind these three all-time American favorites. Beating out gummy bears as America’s favorite candy, saltwater taffy got its misleading name quite by accident. And in Ocean City, New Jersey, Shriver’s winning recipe hasn’t changed in over a century. Seven hundred French alpine goats have relocated to New York’s Hudson Valley to help make Coach Farm’s triple cream goat cheese, that’s got a surprising connection to luxury handbags. And, a Massachusetts factory produces nearly a million Haviland Thin Mints in a single batch, and every one of them enjoys a delectable chocolate shower.

Episode 4 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, discover the story behind these three all-time American favorites. At the Highliner factory in Portsmouth, New Hampshire mountains of frozen cod are coated, flash fried, and transformed into 300 million delectable ready-to-eat fillets every year. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Peanut Chews were first developed as high-protein ration bars for troops in World War I, and now 2.5 million of them roll off the assembly line every week. And, this iconic New England soda is so cool it spawned its own adjective! First created as a cure-all remedy, Moxie soda was patented in 1885 and the gutsy beverage is still going strong with its secret recipe and signature zing.

Episode 5 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. Accidentally invented by a farmer in the 1930s, today’s Cheez Doodles empire is located in Berwick, Pensylvania where 44,000 cheesy balls are formed, baked, and sprayed with atomized liquid cheese every minute. With a winning recipe that hasn’t changed in decades and a daily output of 100,000 crispy shells, Golden Cannoli in Chelsea, Massachusetts is the world’s largest supplier of the Italian delicacy. And, in Youngstown, Ohio, two best friends turned their delicious idea into a major industry by adding beer to every drop of their Yuengling Barbecue Sauce.

Episode 6 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. If you’re a chip lover, consider making the pilgrimage to Nottingham, Pennsylvania, where Herr’s thick and sturdy kettle cooked potato chips are lovingly sliced and fried to perfection. Lollipops got their name in the 1920s from the inventor’s favorite racehorse, and today in Brian, Ohio, 2.5 billion Dum-Dums Original Pops are produced every year. And, with their shocking shades of blue, pink, and purple, it takes tons of flour, food coloring, and a top-secret recipe to turn out 5.7 million Joy Cones ice cream cones every day.

Episode 7 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. At nearly 100-years-old, White Castle is the oldest burger chain in America, and since 1986, the company has sold more than three billion of its frozen cheeseburger sliders. Red Gold Salsa is made from tomatoes grown on more than 50 farms in several states, and it takes three kinds of chilies to give the popular condiment its signature zing. A family business since 1892, Asher’s Chocolates in Pennsylvania has perfected the art of making rich and fruity chocolate-covered Cordial Cherries.

Episode 8 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. At Papa John’s Louisville, Kentucky kitchens, it takes flour and olive oil by the truckload to make enough dough for 300 million pizzas every year. At a massive facility in Nashville, a secret spice blend and over 1,000 pounds of beef go into every batch of Ray’s Original Chilli, and once the ingredients are mixed together, the chili is cooked right in the can. Fruity Danimals yogurt cups are made at a massive Ohio facility where robotic forklifts work 24/7 and where six million pots of yogurt are produced every day.

Episode 9 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. Nicknamed the king of beers, Budweiser’s St. Louis brewery remains true to its roots, and still uses the very same yeast that first launched the brand back in 1876. Meet the inventor and the cryogenic processor behind Dippin’ Dots—the fruit-flavor ice cream beads that literally chill out in a bath of liquid nitrogen. If carrot cake is your thing, you’ll go bananas for Ne-Mo’s Escondido, California headquarters where 80,000 cakes are baked and iced daily.

Episode 10 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. First created in 1795, meet the great grandson of legendary bourbon-maker Jim Beam at the Kentucky factory where a single batch of White Label starts with a million gallons of crushed grain and water. Nicknamed the friendly city, Athens, Tennessee is also home to the celebrated dairy farm where TruMoo chocolate milk is blended by the truckload. The country’s number-one top seller, over a million Tina’s Burritos roll of a California assembly line every day, and every single one is rolled by hand.

Episode 11 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. Producing a savory meal that’s ready in three minutes, Nongshim is South Korea’s top selling brand, and its giant California facility alone produces over 200 million ramen noodle bowls per year. It takes an ‘octopus’, a ‘guillotine’, and a chocolate waterfall to produce Look candy bars—the classic American treat that combines chewy peanut-filled nougat with a delectable dark chocolate coating. Though the company admits its name is half-baked, Semifreddi’s bakery produces fluffy and flawless Challah—the hand-braided egg bread that’s kosher, doughy, and delicious.

Episode 12 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. At Del Monte’s massive green bean operation in Markesan, Wisconsin, garden-fresh beans are always picked and packed on the same day at a staggering rate of 45 tons an hour. Steeped in Italian history, Barilla’s Iowa facility uses wheat, water, and state-of-the-art machines to produce authentic bowtie shaped farfalle pasta by the truckload In Sacramento, California, 60,000 gallons of Marley’s Mellow Mood iced tea are produced daily, and every single drop is infused with the spirit of reggae.

Episode 13 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. Jamba Juice’s Red Fusion smoothie is so cool that its freshly harvested raspberries are individually quick frozen in liquid nitrogen. Founded by a self-proclaimed mad scientist in the late 1950s, 400,000 frozen Bake’n’Serv AnyTime! cinnamon rolls are made daily at this giant Wisconsin facility. After making giant batches of Ben & Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk ice cream, employees at the company’s Vermont factory get to take home three free pints a day.

Episode 14 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. Producing America’s number one Halloween treat for more than half a century, these sweet sisters oversee the production of 30,000 Smarties tablets per minute at their family-run candy factory in Union, New Jersey. For a company that spends no money on advertising, Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix has cornered the market and makes enough mix to produce 1.5 billion muffins per year. It takes mechanical shakers, a river of fruit, and high-tech camera equipment to produce 10 million tart dried cherries every year.

Episode 15 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. With an impressive list of presidential customers, it takes 1,800 staff members and a full-time knife-sharpener to keep up with the demand for Omaha Steak’s mail-order filet mignons. With no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, 1.4 million Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies crackers hop through the company’s 200-foot tunnel oven every hour.The name may not sound too appealing, but Zatarain’s Dirty Rice Mix is downright delicious and has been a New Orleans favorite since 1889.

Episode 16 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. Follow the amazing journey of McDonald’s French Fries as they travel from Idaho potato fields through a 70-mile-an-hour slicer, and finally on to one of the company’s 14,000 restaurants nationwide. It takes a keen eye, massive silos of sugar, corn syrup, and popcorn, and a whole lot of riddles to produce boxes of caramel-coated Cracker Jack candy by the truckload. In order to make 80,000 hand-finished frozen pizzas per day, this family-run factory features a cheesy waterfall that grinds through six million pounds of cheese in a single year.

Episode 17 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. While not actually French, French’s calorie-free signature yellow mustard is the number-one selling mustard in America and its recipe has been a carefully guarded secret for more than 100 years. Featuring turkey, duck, and chicken meat all stitched together in one giant dish, it takes scores of dedicated workers, vats of stuffing, and a metal detector to produce Turduckens by the thousands. It takes specially-selected apples, 20 tons of caramel a day, and half a billion dry-roasted peanuts per year to keep up with the demand for sweet and crunchy Affy Tapples caramel apples.

Episode 18 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. Every year, Jack Link’s South Dakota factory turns almost 100 million pounds of meat into beef jerky, the go-anywhere snack and preferred outer space protein among NASA astronauts. At a century-old Louisiana refinery, mountains of raw sugar are cleaned and steamed into dainty Domino sugar cubes by the millions. Brownies were originally a culinary mishap, and at this New Jersey factory they’re so popular they’re baked in a Ferris wheel-style oven and chopped by a robotic knife.

Episode 19 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. It takes a caramel curtain, tons of toasted coconut, and a 280-foot long oven to produce Samoas, the famous Girl Scout cookies that bring in millions of dollars for charity every year. Giving ice cream lovers the best of both worlds, Turkey Hill Double Decker ice cream bars feature both chocolate and vanilla ice cream wedged between two delectable wafers. Pennsauken, New Jersey is the world headquarters for SuperPretzel Softstix, where a cutting-edge assembly line turns out irresistible cheese-filled pretzel pockets by the thousands.

Episode 20 -

On this episode of Food Factory USA, find out the story behind these three favorites. There’s a reason it’s America’s number-one best-selling brand, and from a Pennsylvania vineyard to a state-of-the-art factory, follow the incredible trajectory of Welch’s Concord Grape Jam. In Pennsylvania, millions of Mrs. T’s pierogies are produced every year, but the family-run business won’t reveal the secret behind their grandma-perfected recipe. Featuring a caustic bath and a chocolate waterfall, this Pennsylvania factory turns out flipping delicious chocolate-covered pretzels.